Jason Licht
Impending Free Agents
Buccaneers fixtures Mike Evans and Lavonte David are both impending free agents. After putting together what are already legendary careers in Tampa, the two are still mulling their respective futures. Pillars of the Bucs' organization, David and Evans have achieved longevity and consistency in the NFL. Both have cemented their place amongst the upper echelon at their individual positions and have left an indelible mark on the team's lore.
Evans missed six games in 2025 due to a broken collarbone and was placed on injured reserve on October 22. He was sidelined for three games earlier in the year with a hamstring injury and appeared in four contests before sustaining the second ailment. Evans returned for the Week 15 Thursday Night Football clash with the Falcons and concluded the 2025 campaign with 30 catches for 368 yards and three scores. General Manager Jason Licht emphasized there has been open communication with Evans' agents and the door will always remain open for the Bucs' all-time leader in nearly every receiving category, but that Evans has "earned" the right to see what his options are on the open market in March.
"Love Mike," noted Licht. "We would love to have Mike back and he has earned the right and his résumé and Mike as a person, what he has meant to this entire community, fanbase, all of us. I could go on and on. He has earned the right and we would love to have Mike back and we will just see how the process goes."
David, one of the most distinguished players in team history, accumulated an interception, three passes defensed, two forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks, 114 combined tackles, eight tackles for loss and six quarterback hits in his 14th season. He is one of two players since tackles began being tracked in 1994 with 1,500-plus tackles, 40-plus sacks and 10-plus interceptions, alongside Ray Lewis. David played 1,023 snaps in 2025, galvanizing the defense.
"Once again, you know how I feel and we feel and the entire organization [feels] about Lavonte David," described Licht. "He is the staple of what we look for in a player and a person and he has also earned the right to take a step back and decide what his future is and we are giving him that respect right now."
Excitement Surrounding David Walker
The Bucs' fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, David Walker, was placed on injured reserve back in August after suffering an ACL injury that required reparative surgery. Walker essentially redshirted his rookie campaign but impressed during OTAs and the first week of training camp. Walker, a three-time Consensus All-American, accumulated 82.5 tackles for loss and 39 sacks over four total seasons at Central Arkansas and Southern Arkansas. He won the 2024 Buck Buchanan Award as the top FCS defensive player and was the conference defensive player of the year for three-consecutive years. With an explosive first-step, natural leverage and a diversified toolkit, Walker made his mark during offseason workouts prior to the injury.
"We are very excited about David Walker," said Licht. "Based on what we saw from him early last year and then Calijah [Kancey] – we thought we had two, along with Vita and Yaya – we had some very good pressure players. That [injury] put a wrench in some things last year for us."
Licht confirmed that both Walker and right guard Cody Mauch, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on Monday Night Football in Week Two against the Texans, will be ready to go for training camp in the summer.
Todd Bowles
Zac Robinson's Feel for the Game
The Bucs filled their offensive coordinator vacancy with Zac Robinson in late January. Robinson previously worked with current Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield when he served as Mayfield's positional coach in 2022 with the Rams. Robinson became the Falcons' offensive coordinator in 2024 and that year, Atlanta's offense ranked sixth in the league with 369.8 yards per game, fifth in passing yards per game (239.3) and 10th in rushing yards per game (130.5). Bijan Robinson posted a career-high 304 rushes for 1,456 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. In 2023, while Robinson served as the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator, Rams' passer Matthew Stafford thrived. He completed 326 of 521 attempts for 3,965 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for a 92.5 passer rating and earned Pro Bowl recognition for the second time in his tenure. Additionally, that same season, receiver Puka Nacua posted the most receptions (105) and receiving yards (1,486) by a rookie in NFL history. Head Coach Todd Bowles faced Robinson's offense multiple times over the past two years in NFC South battles, gathering input on how Robinson adjusts situationally and maximizes personnel. At the podium, Bowles described how his scheme fits the guys in Tampa Bay.
"Zac is really my first time with an experienced play caller," said Bowles. "Liam [Coen] had it in college at Kentucky but with the Rams, Sean [McVay] called it so Zac is really my first time. He had done it two years so just talking to him and interviewing him, he had a great feel for the game and he understands situational football and he knows what he wants and how he wants to do it. And just playing against him the last two years, I got a good feel for what he likes to do and I think it will help us…personality, style and the way he likes to do things and how are guys can fit his scheme, I thought he was the best of the guys we interviewed."
